Interesting. I'm very well aware of this incident since it was well covered in
mass media of Finland. That story from Russian mass-media sounds like it is
telling about totally different event!

First, there (In Pennäs) were no eyewitnesses who saw anything falling from the
sky. That's a fact. A hole on the ice of small river (it was not a lake by the
way) was discovered by a man while walking in the morning of New Year Day near
his house. Later some people claims in newspapers that there was a bright lights
and some noice in previous night. Well, the hole has appeared in the night
before the New Year Day (not Jan 2) and there are always lights and sounds
during that night because fireworks.

The hole on ice in this incident doesn't show much evidence of impact of falling
meteorite. There were no blocks of broken ice visible. The hole was quite
similar than several other holes discovered now and then on the ice of Finnish
lakes during winters. Those holes are produced by a current of water which melt
ice from below. Those holes looks very much like something has hit the ice,
since there can be features which seems like the water has splashed out from the
hole. Several of those holes has been investigated in hope of finding a
meteorite but without any success.

Well, of cource there is a small change that it was a meteorite after all, but I
don't believe so. However, I do hope that I'm wrong and they will find a
meteorite...

So far the only hole on the ice produced by meteorite in Finland was the four
meter wide hole produced by Bjurböle meteorite in March 12 1899 (328 kg, L4).

Jarmo Moilanen

> Dear All!
> The last evening Russian mass-media reported about something resembling
> a
> meteorite fall in Finland. Here is an electronic translation into
> English.
> You can see a couple of pictures in
> <http://www.ortv.ru/owa/ort_win/ort_news1.news?parms=code=/owa/ort_win/~inraz>
> del=catastrophes~inid=23558>
> Does anybody hear any details?
>
> Sincerely,
> Andrei Ol'khovatov
> Russia, Moscow
> - -----------------------------------
> Tuesday, 02.01.2001 22:30 MYSTERIOUS INCIDENT IN FINLAND. Uncommon
> events
> occurred today in Finland. In the lake near Bennayes town directly from
> the
> sky fell some enormous unidentified body. According to the evidence of
> eyewitnesses, everything occurred within a few seconds. Was heard loud
> whistle, then the sound of impact/shock. Enormous funnel/hopper was
> formed
> on the spot of the incidence/drop in the object/subject in ice.
> Scientists
> do not exclude, that the local residents became the eyewitnesses of the
> incidence/drop in the large meteorite. However, it will be possible to
> explain this for sure only after the bottom of lake inspect divers.
>
>
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> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-listReceived on Wed 10 Jan 2001 04:48:21 AM PST